


Wreckage

by Renie_Black



Series: Stay Still [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Jack Zimmermann's Overdose, draft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 02:44:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11865009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renie_Black/pseuds/Renie_Black
Summary: "If I could pull you from the wreckageWe'd be all fine, oh lord..."On the eve of the draft, Kent found himself alone in a hospital waiting room, struggling to cope with the potential loss of his best friend and the future he envisioned for himself and Jack. Unsure how to cope with the loss, he finds that he has support in unlikely places.





	Wreckage

**Author's Note:**

> I know Kent Parson and his response to the draft has been done a lot within the fandom, and yet I couldn't quite get it out of my head. I'm just finding my writing groove again and I have a love for the character of Kent Parson that I can't quite contain. Thus a 5k fic was born. This can be read as a standalone story as it briefly references Shattered. Also, there are references to drug use with needles and negative self-talk. Please read cautiously!

_If I could pull you from wreckage  
We'd be all fine, oh lord ___

__- _Stay Still, Blessthefall__ _

___ _

___Kent fidgeted with his phone screen before pressing the call button. Katie, his agent, answered the phone sleepily with a confused, “Hello?_ _ _

___Kent swallowed the lump in his throat and heard his disembodied voice explaining to Katie what had happened and where he was. He couldn't quite believe that this was going on to him and that he was calling Katie to tell her. A hysterical laugh bubbled up in his throat, and he wildly wondered if this was something that an almost professional athlete would tell his agent._ _ _

___“Kent,” Katie began after a brief pause, and he heard the rustling of blankets and someone protesting in the background. “Who are you with? Are you with the Zimmermans?”_ _ _

___Kent shrank on himself in the uncomfortable plastic olive green chair, the edge of the chair digging into his side as he drew his legs to his chest. He held the phone away from his face for a second, eyes fluttering shut as he weighed the response he wanted to give. He pressed the phone back to his ear and in a tight, almost child-like voice he stuttered, “No. I’m, uh, I’m in the waiting room by myself. I, I, uh, don’t think the press has figured out where I am yet.”_ _ _

___Kent was immensely glad to have Katie in his corner as she replied with a vehement,”Fuck, that's not what I'm-"_ _ _

___Kent rested his face against his knees, as he waited for Katie to tell him what to do. He knew that the press nightmare was the last thing from her mind, and he wasn't even sure why he said it. Katie inhaled sharply and cut herself off with a breathy, " Kent, hun, I'm on my way.”_ _ _

___The phone clicked off, and Kent found himself clinging to it as if it were his last life line, and he thought that maybe it was. He quickly scrolled through his contacts, his finger hovering over the contact for his mom. He quickly shut the phone off and stared ahead at the hallway the Zimmermans had disappeared down a half- hour before._ _ _

___Neither Bob nor Alicia acknowledged or even comforted him, though they had been waiting together for hours. Bitterly, he thought, so much for being like their second son. Kent tamped down on that thought, reminding himself that wasn't going to help him right now and they were worried about their actual kid dying. If he were in their position, he wouldn't have said anything to him either. At least he knew that Jack wasn't dead because the doctor had come to the waiting room with kind eyes and a soft voice and hustled the Zimmermans from the waiting room, leaving Kent alone with the memories of the last time he waited in a hospital for answers about someone he loved._ _ _

___Images of finding his mom unconscious on the kitchen floor, empty hypodermic needle still protruding from the vein in the crook of her arm flashed through his mind while he waited. He remembered Dr. Kwolski sitting by his side and quietly delivering the news that his mom was going to live, but she needed some additional help before he could go home with her. Mrs. Flowers, the neighbor who always looked after him, had found the two of them in the waiting room minutes later._ _ _

___He shook his head, trying to clear his brain of the ugly thoughts and briefly glanced at his phone, wondering if Mrs. Flowers would pick up if he called. It was late though, and he didn't want to worry her, especially since there was nothing she could do to help him this time, except tell him that he wasn't responsible for other's actions._ _ _

___Despite his best efforts though, Kent couldn’t help but wonder if he was the cause of both his mom and Jack’s overdoses, that maybe there was something dark and twisted in him that kept causing the people he loved to want to die. He opened his eyes wide, willing the unpleasant memories to dissipate. Kent tried to count the chairs in the room, like one of his school counselor’s had taught him when he started to feel overwhelmed. It didn't help much, but it gave him something else to focus on instead of the mounting panic and bad memories._ _ _

___Kent couldn’t be sure how long he sat in the waiting room for Katie, but eventually, Kent felt himself calm a bit. Katie burst into the waiting room, thick almond brown hair pulled into a sloppy bun, her contacts traded for a pair of cat-eye glasses that emphasized the sharpness of her cheekbones. Her hazel eyes were clouded with worry and Kent idly noted that she was still wearing a pair of worn baby blue flannel pants with small kitty faces on it. Her shirt was obscured by a faded and frayed maroon Stanford sweatshirt that clashed horribly with her pajama bottoms. He felt a pang of guilt at having woken her for this._ _ _

___Katie must have sensed that because she fussed over him long enough to make sure that he hadn't been hurt. She hesitated for a moment and then cupped his face in her hands like a mother would a young child, tilting his face so that he looked up at her. She brushed her thumb under his eyes where tears had stained his cheeks and face and sighed. Kent's face contorted and his lips trembled, and he couldn't keep it together anymore._ _ _

___“Katie,” he blubbered, the tears sliding down his face, “I… my mom….Jack…”_ _ _

___She plopped down on the chair next to him and rubbed soothing circles on his back, with a comforting, “I know, hun. I know.”_ _ _

___He turned his head so that he stared at her sideways, and questioned brokenly, “Why didn’t they tell me anything?”_ _ _

___“I don’t know,” she confessed, irritation flashing through her eyes, “But I’m here, and I am not going anywhere.”_ _ _

___She stopped rubbing his back as something behind him caught her eye and her face contorted into a sneer, making her look like the shark he knew her to be. Katie moved her hand to Kent’s arm and pulled him into a standing position, guiding him away from the waiting room and the progressively busier hallway. Kent glanced over his shoulder and saw several reporters posing as patients lurking around the hospital. Kent could see the light reflecting off the camera lenses and knew that they were attempting to snap a few pictures of Jack or Kent._ _ _

___Anger bubbled in his throat, but Katie must have realized that as she pushed him into the elevator. Katie punched a button, turning to Kent as he slumped against the wall of the elevator. The cold metal against his skin grounding him as the exhaustion finally overtook him as he attempted to process everything that had happened. He wondered what this that would mean for him and for Jack. His eyes flew open as his inner voice viciously whispered, was there really ever you and Jack? He never loved you, and you know that. Nobody even likes you Kent._ _ _

___Kent whimpered and balled his fists into his hair, wrenching fistfuls of it up. Katie’s eyebrows raised in concern, and instantly she crossed the space between them, drawing him into a hug and uttering soft, unintelligible words. The elevator screeched to a halt and Kent stared uncomprehendingly at the sea of cars in the parking garage._ _ _

___“Katie, I can’t leave, I need to be here when Jack wakes up, I need-” he stuttered, withdrawing himself from the hug and placing his hand on the elevator doors as Katie moved to take a step out. Katie's shoulders slumped for a moment like the wind had been knocked out of her, and Kent’s stomach plummeted and his guts twisted. She removed her glasses from her face and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, brown eyes weary. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. A cold wave of fear washed over him, and he couldn't quite place why._ _ _

___“Kent,” she began cautiously, and Kent clenched his teeth, and he backed himself into the corner of the elevator. He was tired of the soft hesitating voice before they delivered bad news. He just wanted something to go right tonight, he just needed one thing to go right this evening. You don’t get to have good things happen to you. You deserve this, you deserve this, the voice whispered as he waited for Katie to finish her sentence. He turned away from Katie, crossing his arms across his chest. Kent realized that he looked like a petulant child, but he couldn’t help it. He was doing everything he could to stay standing._ _ _

___“Kent,” she demanded, her voice more firm and Kent flinched away from her outstretched hand. The elevator doors beeped as they attempted to close, oblivious to the melodrama that was playing out in it. Kent flinched away from her, hanging his head abashedly at her tone. Katie placed her hand on his shoulder, and Kent turned toward her, arms dropping to his side._ _ _

___“They don’t want me here,” he responded woodenly. His breath caught in his chest like he had taken a bad check as he stole a glance at Katie, who nodded her head slowly._ _ _

___“They didn’t even, they couldn’t even come tell me in person that they didn’t want me here? But I waited with them-” Kent faltered, looking wildly at Katie, whose lips twisted into a scowl. He suddenly couldn’t think as the beeping of the elevator, the roar of the cars driving through the garage and the stuffiness of the elevator overwhelmed him. “They think it’s my fault, Katie- I tried, I tried so hard to help him, I did. I didn’t know that, he never said that he wanted to die, Katie, please… It wasn’t like my mom, I checked, I did-”_ _ _

___The elevator dinged again, and Katie punched the open door button so hard that the plastic casing cracked and she moved, so her body blocked the doors. When he looked up at her, her tiny hands were clenched into fists at her side, and her warm brown eyes were wet with unshed tears._ _ _

___“No, Kent, honey, listen to me, no one thinks this is your fault. No one is blaming you for any of this. Mr. Zimmerman called on my way here… And said that the best way he could thank-you for saving Jack’s life was to make sure that you didn’t ruin your future by staying in a hospital waiting room.”_ _ _

___The elevator was too small for him to be in, and despite feeling chilly moments before, everything was too warm and could feel the sweat forming beneath his arms and on his palms. He forced himself to move, pushing past Katie. He staggered out of the elevator, but the stuffy parking structure did little to relieve the sense of suffocating and the weight on his chest. He wobbled and sank to the ground, unable to hold himself up any longer._ _ _

___He emitted a strangled, "But why, why didn't they say anything? I woulda, I woulda-"_ _ _

___The pressure mounting behind his eyes and in his shoulders surged, and he slammed his fist in the cement of the parking garage, over and over again. Dull pain lanced through his fist, but he didn't even register it. He didn’t realize he was even screaming, the sound was raw and guttural, as it echoed through the crowded garage._ _ _

___Katie arrived at his side, reaching out to touch him, but he shied away from her outstretched hand. His nerves tingled, everything felt like it hurt, and the thought of anyone touching him made him feel like he was going to jump out of his skin. Katie withdrew her hand, understanding that he didn’t need that right now, but unsure how to comfort to him._ _ _

___“I don’t have a future,” he croaked, avoiding looking at her, “Not without Jack. This wasn’t, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.”_ _ _

___Katie leaned back on her heels and ventured, “Yes, you do. I know you don’t want to think about it right now, and I am aware that this reality is different than how you thought the future was going to go, but this is what we have. You’ve worked toward this for years." Katie paused here, weighing her words before continuing, "I know this is hard, and I wish that we had a clear cut guide as to how to handle this, but we don't."_ _ _

___Kent sniffled, throat raw and he just wanted to curl up in a ball and never wake up. “I wanna go back to the hotel and sleep.”_ _ _

___Katie nodded and clapped her hands, startling Kent a bit. “Okay, then I need you to stand up. You can lean on me if you don’t think you can make it to the car without help.”_ _ _

___She placed her hands on her knees and stood, offering Kent a hand up. He accepted and allowed her to pull him up. He stumbled as his numb legs attempted to support him and he leaned into Katie, trying to not collapse on her as she guided him to the passenger side of the car. She opened the door for him, and bonelessly he collapsed into the front seat. He stared ahead stonily, ignoring the seatbelt she pulled out for him. She waved it in front of his face until he snatched it from her and shoved the buckle into the clip._ _ _

___Katie slid into the driver's seat, and as she turned the ignition, Kent uttered quietly, “What should I do?”_ _ _

___“For what?” Katie questioned as she backed out of the spot and away from the hospital._ _ _

___Kent averted his eyes away from the hospital, not wanting to watch as they drove further away. He couldn't help but feel as if by leaving some sort of line had been drawn. His chin hit his chest as he mumbled,“Draft.”_ _ _

___“I can withdraw you from the draft now, and we wait until next year and try again. Or you can go, and I can prepare a statement. This is your decision. I will support whatever you decide to do and manage the fallout either way.”_ _ _

___Kent closed his eyes and willed his heart to slow down and for the world to stop spinning. Kent scrunched down in the seat, the tears sliding down his face and dripped onto his shirt. Not wanting Katie to see him cry, he turned his head to watch the city blur past. His head thunked against the window, the cold glass providing some comfort. Katie threw her hand behind him, rummaging through the back seat. She set the warm water bottle by his leg and squeezed his knee supportively._ _ _

___The remainder of the car ride was silent, save his sniffling and occasional sobs. Katie turned into the hotel parking lot, and Kent slouched low in the car as he saw the front walk littered with reporters and cameras. Kent knew his blotchy red cheeks were a far cry from attractive and he was pretty sure snot had dribbled down his face at some point during all of this. Kent really didn't think he could handle images from tonight making their way into the media, and this was definitely not a night that he wanted photo documentation of. Kent sighed heavily because he already knew the nightmares were going to stay with him for some time because they always did._ _ _

___Katie threw him an apologetic look as she seamlessly slid past the reporters, who thankfully paid her car no attention. She parked the car behind the hotel, in the shadows of a tree and some shrubbery and tapped out a quick text. Katie roused Kent from the passenger side of the car and Kent breathed in deeply to prepare himself for the possibility of running into the public. A goateed man poked his head out of a side door and glanced around outside, before waving the two of them over._ _ _

___Katie raised her hand and motioned toward the man, looping her arm into his. Reflexively, Kent ducked his head down and attempted to make himself as unnoticeable as possible, for once grateful for the fact that he was a small hockey player. Katie guided him toward the door, and Kent walked slower, wearily eyeing the sleep mussed man at the door._ _ _

___"He's not press, Kent," Katie murmured matter-of-factly, "It's okay."_ _ _

___Kent pulled to a stop a few feet from the door and croaked, "How do you know?"_ _ _

___She eyed him for a moment, before replying, "He's my husband, and I asked him to come open the door for us so we could avoid the media."_ _ _

___"Oh," Kent muttered, suddenly incredibly embarrassed that he didn't even know that his agent, the person that he spent a lot of time speaking to, was married. Katie pulled him toward the door and her husband. He flashed Kent a sympathetic smile, but he didn't offer Kent any platitudes or condolences, for which Kent was grateful. Kent was already coming apart at the seams, and time seemed to slow as dread pooled in his stomach as he remembered the shattered bottle of champagne and the pills that littered the bathroom floor. It was late when the ambulance had come, and he was fairly sure no one has cleaned that up yet._ _ _

___He blinked, only realizing they arrived at the elevator because the doors dinged open. He shuffled into the small space, his heart rate ratcheting up a notch as his hand paused over the button for his floor. Katie brushed his hand away and pressed the floor that she and her husband, were staying on._ _ _

___At Kent’s confused face, she frowned at him and replied, “Did you honestly think I would let you go back to that room and be alone? You’re staying with us until we figure out what we are going to do.”_ _ _

___Kent stared dumbfounded at her because he had honestly expected to go back to that room alone and spend the next couple of hours lying in the dark and staring at the ceiling. Again, he was overwhelmed by gratitude at having Katie there with him. He didn’t want to tell her that he expected to have to handle this alone like he had done so many times before._ _ _

___"But, uh, your husband-" Kent started but was interrupted by the man in question._ _ _

___"I'm Marc. I thought that you might want to be with people tonight," Marc responded, turning to look at Kent, and Kent could see the dark circles under Marc's eyes. Marc looked exhausted and worried, and Kent felt another pang of guilt. He shouldn't have called Katie in the middle of the night like this. She had already been working long hours to help him, and then he screwed it up, just like he always did._ _ _

___"I'm sorry, " he blurted, and Katie whipped around, her expression dark and her eyes glittering with something Kent couldn't quite identify. Kent shrank away from them, as his mom's angry face eclipsed Katie. Katie's face softened, but Marc's lips thinned as he took in Kent's reaction and body language. Kent squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see that sympathetic look he knew was bound to come._ _ _

___As the elevator doors swished open, Marc held out his hand to keep the doors from closing again and gestured for them to walk out of the elevator. Kent sauntered behind Katie and Marc, leaden arms and legs making it difficult for him to keep up. Marc leaned over to Katie, whispering something in her ear. She nodded as Marc keyed them into their room and walked through the threshold. Katie shut the door behind them, slumping against it for a moment. Kent attempted to walk toward the unmade bed in the corner of, but Katie was suddenly beside him, stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm. He averted his gaze, unable to look at her._ _ _

___"Kent," she said softly, voice wavering a bit as she spoke, "I don't want you to apologize for tonight or anytime that you need someone."_ _ _

___She paused here, searching for words that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to say but pressed on anyway. "I know things at home haven't been easy for you and I know tonight was the worst possible thing that could happen, and it doesn't feel like you have anyone on your side, but you do. You have me and by default Marc, and I need you to know that I will fight armies for you if you need it."_ _ _

___Katie grasped Kent's hands, and Kent crumbled in her arms. The sobs that he had managed to mostly keep at bay on the car ride to the hotel burst from him in ragged breaths. He couldn't stop the onslaught of tears that rolled down his face. Kent collapsed onto the floor. Katie sat cross-legged on the floor and pulled Kent toward her so that his head rested in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, murmuring nonsensical soothing things to Kent._ _ _

___Marc appeared with a glass of water and set it next to the two of them, and instead of fleeing to the bed, he sat beside Katie, offering his support without speaking. It took awhile, but eventually, Kent's sobs slowly faded to body wrenching hiccups, Katie still rubbing slow circles on his back. Kent sluggishly pushed himself into a sitting position, and silently accepted the glass Marc passed him. Kent wobbled to his feet, the remaining water in the glass splashing over the side as the glass clunked against the bedside table. Kent collapsed onto the unmade bed, too exhausted to pull the blankets over his aching body. Marc and Katie helped pull the blankets around him, and Kent giggled at the thought of them tucking him in. His eyelids slid shut heavily, and he started to drift off as someone clicked off the light._ _ _

___"Mmph, Katie?" he called groggily._ _ _

___"Yeah?"_ _ _

___Kent rolled over to his side, and despite his exhaustion felt the smallest spark of determination. He steeled himself and said, “I wanna do this.”_ _ _

___The silence in the room suffocated Kent, and he wasn't sure if Katie approved of his decision. He scrambled to a sitting position and opened his mouth to explain himself to Katie while attempting to ignore the voice that continued to whisper that he was a disappointment to everyone who cared about him. His breath quickened, and it was Marc who provided Kent the relief from the near panic attack._ _ _

___"I think that's a good call, kid."_ _ _

___Katie's muffled voice echoed the sentiment, or at least Kent thought it might have, he couldn't really tell. Kent could feel his gut wriggle and he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was doing the wrong thing still. He was unable to settle down until Marc said, “Get some sleep, kid. We have a busy day ahead of us.”_ _ _

___ _

___Hours later had Kent staring at the mirror listlessly, the smudges of purple and black bags beneath his eye sticking out starkly against his sallow face. His hair, though he attempted to tame the unruly blonde cow licks, stuck up at odd angles and refused to be tamped down. Kent sighed and fiddled with his tie, which felt more and more like a noose around his neck._ _ _

___Marc handed Kent a bottle of water and smiled at him kindly. The smile did nothing to settle his nerves and Kent knew he shouldn’t feel like he was being sent to the gallows. Kent accepted the water but didn't drink it. Kent was doing everything he could to not puke all over his expensive borrowed suit. Kent loosened the tie around his neck again, and Marc waved Kent's hands away from the tie._ _ _

___"Stop fiddling with it," Marc chided, as he retied the knot, though it was looser than it had been._ _ _

___Kent smiled at Marc weakly, and he knew that it didn't reach his eyes. Kent couldn't muster the strength to be more convincing at this point. Marc didn't let that deter him and pulled Kent into a hug._ _ _

___"Kid, I've been following hockey since before I could talk," Marc began, "And I've watched you come up. You're on your way toward great things, Kent. Don't doubt yourself."_ _ _

___Kent ducked his head, cheeks pinking at the compliment and the gentle rebuke. Kent mumbled a quick thank you and his eyes drifted toward the piece of paper that Katie had handed him to read over. Three black lines stood out starkly against the white, the three sentences he was supposed to say if he was asked about Jack. The tie around his neck felt like it was constricting again. He didn't know if he would be able to utter those words, and he felt the tears prick his eyes again. He clamped them shut, willing himself not to cry again. He couldn't cry anymore about this. Steeling himself, be inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled. He rolled his shoulders back and raised his face. He wouldn't cry about this anymore, he resolved._ _ _

___Yet, the draft was starting in a few minutes, and he was supposed to go on stage and smile, wave and be grateful that he was awarded a great opportunity. He was the underdog, a kid with a sad story who managed to achieve his dreams of being in the NHL, and he knew just needed to pretend for the next few hours. His hollowed chest belied his resolve, as did the niggling voice of self-doubt that was operating in full force, reminding him he wasn't good enough to be here without Jack._ _ _

___Katie fluttered around him, wisps of hair falling from her bun, that she kept absentmindedly shoving bobby-pins to keep them in place. She adjusted her glasses on her nose for the umpteenth time, but Kent could see the small tremors that traveled through her hand as she clutched the copy of the pre-written statement. Marc moved from Kent's side and placed his hands on Katie's shoulders to stop her from flitting around the room. He spoke to her quietly, and she glared at him for a moment before pulling away from Marc and marching toward Kent._ _ _

___She stopped in front of him, hands smoothing Kent's hair before she frowned at him. She rummaged around in her purse before pulling out a small bottle of concealer and foundation powder. Kent's eyes widened, and he took a step back from her as he shot a helpless look over to Marc, who raised his eyebrows at him and shrugged._ _ _

___"Sorry kid," Marc remarked, "Just gotta let it happen.'_ _ _

___"Shut up," Katie snarked back, but she had a hint of a smile as began to apply the makeup to the circles beneath Kent's eyes. The brushes tickled his face, but he sat through it, knowing that Katie was just doing her best to help him._ _ _

___Kent rolled his eyes at the display, but a flicker of warmth ran through him. Marc and Katie wouldn't both be here if they didn't care. Though his skin felt dry and his stomach roiled in both anticipation and fear, he knew that despite the outcome in a few hours, Katie and Marc were going to be waiting for him. A wave of nausea rolled over him, and his head felt cottony at the thought of not being near the two of them. It had been hard enough to leave Mrs. Flowers when it was time to go to the Q._ _ _

___Without warning, Katie pulled Kent into a bone-crushing hug, smashing Kent’s face into her bony shoulder. Startled, Kent put his arms around her waist and all but collapsed onto her. She held his head to her shoulder, hand caressing his head like he was a child and Kent all but caved to the small comfort that the gesture held. Marc came up behind her and wrapped all of them in a hug._ _ _

___“Shit, Kent, I wish we could cancel today, after everything you went through,” she muttered, and he could hear the tremor in her voice and knew that she was just as physically and emotionally exhausted as he was._ _ _

___Marc grunted in agreement, and Kent got the feeling that Marc had a lot more to say on the matter._ _ _

___“S’okay,” Kent mumbled, “Shit happens. This isn’t even the worst thing that I've lived through.”_ _ _

___Marc pulled away from them, and for the first time since they met, Kent saw fury fly across his features at the statement. Before Marc could unpack what that statement meant, and vocalize what he was thinking, Katie pulled away throwing Marc a stern look._ _ _

___However, this didn't stop Katie from hissing fiercely, “Not this, Kent Parson, and don't you dare pretend that any of this fucked up situation is the standard. The Zimmermans-”_ _ _

___Katie cut herself off abruptly, cheeks tinged red as whatever she was about to say threatened to bubble off the tip of her tongue.  
Marc saved Katie by smirking, "What my wife is trying to say is that we're your team and we aren't going to abandon you after claiming to be family." _ _ _

___Kent ignored the barb against the Zimmermans and groaned, "That was such a dad joke."_ _ _

___Katie snorted a wet laugh as she said, "Yeah, he's good at that."_ _ _

___Marc raised his fist in mock outrage and said, "I'll have you know that these jokes are quality."_ _ _

___A smile tugged at Kent's mouth, and for the first time in the last twenty-four hours, he felt a tendril of hope sprout in him. Impulsively he grabbed Katie and pulled her into another hug and snuffled in a small voice.”You promise you'll be here?"_ _ _

___Katie choked a bit and pushed Kent toward the stage door, and her tears stained the collar of his shirt. “Promise. You’re going to do great things, Kent, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Now get out there. We’ll be waiting for you when this is all over.”_ _ _

___When Kent’s name was called as the first overall draft pick for the Las Vegas Aces, bile rose in his throat. He attempted a smile, but it came off as a grimace. Despite the heat and the brightness of the lights, he could see Katie clutching Marc's hand. He squinted at her, but he wasn't sure if she was crying or not. Marc flashed a thumbs up, only to have Katie whack him with her hand. Kent imagined she was telling him not to be a dork, and despite only knowing Marc for a few short hours, he was glad that he was there._ _ _

___Kent gulped and clenched his shaking hands into fists as a microphone was shoved in his face. His stomach twisted as he mumbled thanks to everyone and attempted to answer the questions the reporters lobbed at him. Thankfully his voice didn't shake, but spits the words out rapidly, afraid that if they didn't get out, they never would. He heard himself utter that it was a great honor to choose to go first by the Aces, despite the fact that Kent didn't feel like any of this was really his._ _ _

___Someone asked about Jack and the overdose, and Kent stumbled then, mouth having difficulty forming around unfamiliar and untrue words. He managed to utter them, but he felt as if he was being stabbed in the gut as he did so. Someone in the background redirected the questions, and Kent answered all of them on autopilot. Kent found himself shaking hands with people he wasn't sure of the names of until finally, he was back with Katie and Marc, who flanked either side of him like body guards._ _ _

___Kent couldn't help but think that he took something that he was never meant to have in the first place as he followed everyone into a room cheering with congratulations. Katie looped her arm into his and grinned, and Marc clapped him on the back._ _ _

___It may not have been what he wanted or even expected, but for the moment, it's what he had. Kent clung to that thought as he settled between Katie and Marc, effortlessly slipping into his media persona. He could allow himself to have this moment and hope that at least this wouldn't be tainted by Jack Zimmerman._ _ _


End file.
